Prospects is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

whose aim is to support

learning disabled Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficult ...

adults, and to enable them to reach their full potential. It was founded in the mid-1970s by David Potter, a Christian minister, who was drawn to the needs of these adults because he and his wife had a daughter with

Down syndrome Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual dis ...

. The charity's method of operation is to seek a partnership with a local church before opening a residential facility; this dates back to the original residence, Plas Lluest, near

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

, which was purchased and established with the help of the Alfred Place Baptist Church in Aberystwyth, with the child of two members of that congregation as the first resident. Based on the headline over the article Potter wrote and published in the

Evangelical Times Evangelical Times (ET) is a monthly evangelical newspaper in the UK, published in a 32-page tabloid format. The editor is Mike Judge, pastor of Chorlton Evangelical Church. The newspaper is administered from its office in Darlington, County Durham ...

, Prospects was originally called A Cause for Concern.A recent article recalling this original article
/ref> The name was changed in 1997, at the same time as a reorganisation from a charitable trust into a limited company with charitable status. Prospects methodology has changed and it now works with around 40 local authorities who fund over 60 services supporting over 300 adults across the UK. The majority of these services are

Supported living Supported living or supportive living refers to a range of services and community living arrangements (CLAs) designed with individuals with disabilities and their families to support disabled citizens to attain or retain their independence (see ind ...

services with, in addition, a small number of Residential Homes and Day Opportunity services. All Prospects services are regulated by the appropriate bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Prospects vision and mission has been to offer ‘Christianly distinctive’ services to enable people with learning disabilities who so desire, to live a fully Christian life. This Christian ethos is delivered through the staff and in consequence many posts within the organisation carry a Genuine Occupational Requirement to be a Christian. In addition Prospects has two projects; Causeway Prospects and International Prospects, which are funded separately and entirely from gift income. These projects work with Churches and Christian organisations in the UK and abroad to enable full inclusion in Church life and personal spiritual development for people with learning disabilities. International Prospects also partners in Christian social care initiatives in developing counties.

References

Potter, David C. (2001). ''Through Changing Scenes'', Carlisle, Cumbria: Paternoster. {{ISBN, 1-85078-433-7

External links

Prospects websiteCauseway Prospects website
Christian charities based in the United Kingdom Religious organizations established in the 1970s Disability organisations based in the United Kingdom